After the School Play
by Rocheleh
Summary: Greg is forced to apologize to Patty Farrell after the school play and finds out some things that make her think twice about this girl. Rated T just in case.


**Sorry, this has just been on my mind since I was thinking about how my friend said that the characters were two-dimensional. This made me think of Patty Farrell and decided to give her a bit of a back story. I refuse to read any more RodrickXOCs. Read and review please!**

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><p>"Sing," Patty Farrell whispered from backstage, "Sing!"<p>

Greg Heffley looked at the crazy girl dressed up as Dorothy and back at the crowd, his eyes focused on Rodrick holding a camera. Rodrick grinned from ear to ear, watching Greg's face turn completely red.

"SING!" Patty shouted in frustration, "You ruin _everything_, Greg Heffley! I will not have you ruin this before I beat you up _again!_"

Greg flushed for two reasons. One, he was in a school play, dressed as a tree in front of a crowd with Rodrick holding a video camera. Two, Patty revealed that he got beat by a girl, which invoked nostalgia in half of the student crowd. He tried to think of something when the thought of Chirag telling him about the trees throwing apples at Dorothy came to mind. _That's it!_

He grabbed an apple from his left branch and shot it straight at Patty, who caught it, her face red from both make-up and anger. She growled and pelted him with the apple, causing retaliation among the tree-boys. A fight ensued, angering both Patty and the adults, causing uproar among the crowd. Patty then lunged straight for a wide-eyed Greg, which caused him to roll over, defenseless in a stupid tree costume that originally didn't have armholes. The curtain closed and the music teacher had to break up the fight.

"_Why _did you have to do that, Heffley?" Patty shouted as she walked offstage, venting her anger through muffled growls.

Greg stood there, struggling to remove his costume when the music teacher reprimanded him for what he did. He only half-listened, for his thoughts were focused on the repercussions he would face from his parents, not to mention Rodrick, who would _never_ let him live it down.

He changed back into his normal clothes and strolled back to his family. They were waiting somewhere in the school hallways, waiting to reprimand him.

"Greg, I can't believe you did that, you know how embarrassing that is?" his mother grunted in a quiet yet stern voice, "Now you go apologize to Patty Farrell _right now!_"

"But, mom!"

"You heard me," she replied, "Now go."

Greg sulked, making his way to find Patty Farrell. He didn't really want to apologize and felt that she deserved it due to what she did to him. They hated each other since kindergarten when he made fun of her. She held a grudge on him and she had been his arch-nemesis ever since. _Wow, she's the one who needs damage control and I have to apologize!_ He couldn't find her in the school building so he went out the back door to think and get some fresh air. That way, he could say he went to apologize when he actually didn't.

He strolled a little on the court, a little chilly from the night air. He huffed, watching his breath turn white as his teeth chattered a little. He started to turn around when he saw Patty Farrell come out the door.

"What do you want, Heffley?" she asked, her voice sounding a bit off.

"My parents are making me apologize, so here it is: _sorry_," he replied sarcastically, pissed off as it is.

"You ruined my night and all you could say is a fake sorry?" she cried, "my parents are pissed at me."

"Like mine aren't pissed at me?" Greg retorted, his voice rising, "I was forced to apologize to the person that beat me in wrestling, screams when she doesn't get her way and thinks everyone likes her when they don't, so excuse me for being sarcastic because my school year's been crappy!"

Patty revealed a red face and blood shot eyes when she stepped out under a light bulb, dressed in normal clothes and her classic pig-tail braids. Her hands were covered by her sleeves, her arms crossed from the cold.

"Like my year's been any better?" she whimpered, "My parents are getting on my case because I let my grade slip from an A to a B- in a few classes, all because they want me to be perfect. I just got into a few curriculums to get back into their good graces and you ruined it!"

"Oh boo-hoo, Patty!" Greg shouted, "I lost my best friend this year, my older brother torments me, my little brother embarrassed me by calling me Bubby in front of the whole school, I committed social suicide and my parents think every single thing is my fault and you're crying all because you got a _B minus?_"

"My parents pressure me so much, Heffley! I have to be perfect all the time or they won't even look at me! They're uncaring and cold and now I realize they're raising me to be just like them, even though I don't want to be! I have to put on an act all the time and pretend to be happy and have friends and be talented," she exploded, tears rushing down, "Yeah, my mom's on the PTA, but what does that matter? She's never close to me, I can never tell them anything. I'm on a downward spiral and no one even cares and now I'm being told by my arch-nemesis that I'm a spoiled brat!"

She stormed down the stairs, taking a seat on one of the steps and bawling. Greg never really thought much about Patty other than what was on the surface. At least when he and Rowley had their struggles, his mom comforted him a little. He thought about what he said about her not having friends and realized he was in a similar situation. He resorted to having a sleepover with _Freggley!_ He felt sort of bad for the way he yelled at her at that moment.

"I'm sorry, Patty, and this apology isn't because my parents want me to," he sighed, "If it makes you feel any better, I don't have many friends either."

"No, Heffley, I shouldn't have treated you like this. I just beat you at wrestling that time because I wanted something to feel good about. It was just something to get on my parents' good side again so getting the report card wouldn't blow so much," she continued, wiping one cheek with her jacket, "My parents are so narcissistic and I'm falling apart."

She pulled her jacket sleeve up to check her watch when Greg noticed a red mark right under it. He couldn't help his curiosity and pulled her arm for a closer look.

"What are you doing Heffley?" she asked, wanting to hide her secret.

"What is this?" he replied, rubbing the red mark gently.

"It's nothing," she lied, trying to pull her arm away from the boy, who surprisingly managed to hold on. He undid her watch and found a long cut on her wrist.

"Patty?" he asked, all of the sudden concerned, "Did you do this to yourself?"

She nodded, pulling her arm away and holding her wrist with her other hand. Greg never knew this side of Patty. All he knew before tonight was the snotty girl who had to be on top. It was no wonder she acted like that.

"You don't have to resort to this, you know," he replied, "You know what helps me?"

She turned to face him, curious for another coping method that just might get her out. She hoped for something to last her until she was either back in her parents' good graces or out of the house already. It never occurred to her that some day, she would be seeking help from the boy who made fun of her in kindergarten.

"My mom made me get a journal at the beginning of the year. I thought it was sissy at first but later I thought, 'hey, maybe when I'm famous, I'll publish the journal so I don't have to answer people's stupid questions'."

"Your mom cares enough to make you get a diary?" she laughed.

"It's not a diary," he corrected, "It's a journal, but my mom got me one that said 'Diary' on it. That just proves that parents know nothing about kids our age."

"I should know well," Patty replied, her face a little less red and her tears dry, "Thanks, Heffley. Now I have to convince my parents to let me buy one."

"Just use what I told you."

"Yeah, mom, I want to buy a journal for when I'm rich and famous," she mimicked.

Greg smiled at her, "Well, you said your parents were narcissistic, so it might work. And one thing."

"What?"

"Why do you wear pig-tail braids?"

She used one hand to toy with her right braid, fiddling with the strands tied together. She bit her lip and undid one of her braids, her hair curling and letting loose.

"I don't know, really," she replied, "I guess I should stop."

Her hair fell down, covering her arms and framing her face. Greg took a second look at her. _She looks human now,_ he scoffed in his mind. She looked like a kid rather than a porcelain doll and he almost felt sympathetic.

"My parents are probably looking for me," Greg stated, "So I guess I'll see you, umm."

"Yeah," she replied with a genuine smile, "See you tomorrow, dork."

He laughed, leaving her on the staircase, feeling better than he had during his entire year. He realized he finally found a friend.


End file.
